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Murphy, Cruz enter season without extensions

3/28/13: David Murphy cranks a two-run shot deep over the right-field wall to give the Rangers a five-run edge in the third inning

By T.R. Sullivan
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MLB.com |

SAN ANTONIO -- The flurry of contract extensions that swept through baseball in the final days of Spring Training did not reach the Rangers.

Outfielders David Murphy and Nelson Cruz are going into the season unsigned beyond this year. Both could become free agents after the season.

"Not every player gets to play with a multi-year deal for the next five years," Murphy said. "I'm not going to do anything different than I have the past five years. Play well and good things will happen. More than anything is staying healthy but if you focus in your contract situation it will drive you crazy."

The Rangers touched base with Murphy's agent Michael Moye in Spring Training, but nothing came out of it. The Rangers are still waiting on Cruz's situation with Major League Baseball to be resolved. He is still under investigation for a possible link to a Miami wellness clinic that allegedly distributed performance-enhancing drugs and the Rangers have no new information on that.

Cruz said he is not concerned about going into the season unsigned beyond this year. Cruz still remembers the end of Spring Training in 2008 when the Rangers designated him for assignment and no club picked him up.

"I don't want to put a lot of things on my mind," Cruz said. "I have stuff to focus on to help us win games. My main concern is the team. What happens after the season, I don't know. I'm in a better situation than I was five or six years ago. I was almost out of baseball, designated for assignment and other stuff."